Geysir Erupts Of Its Own Accord

The famed tourist staple actually erupted under its own power the other day, surprising the entire country.

Vísir reports that Halldóra Eldon, who works at Hótel Geysir, managed to take video of the event. The eruption extended dozens of metres into the air, and came as a surprise to everyone.

En ekki hvað!

Posted by Halldóra Eldon on Sunday, February 21, 2016

The reason why the event caught people by surprise is because, believe it or not, Geysir very seldom erupts under its own power. In fact, Halldóra told reporters that in the two years she has worked at the location, she has never seen Geysir erupt.

The geyser most tourists are familiar with seeing erupt is Strokkur, which is far more active. Geysir (or Great Geysir, as it is officially known), by contrast, last erupted under its own power in 2009.

Years ago, its eruption was encouraged by dumping soap into the fissure. This practice is no longer employed.